Reflecting pool
by stevieLUVSAlex
Summary: 365 days after they parted ways, B&B reunite... but things have changed DRAMATICALLY causing pain and confusion. I promsie a good ending : please R
1. Torn pieces

_CHAPTER ONE: Torn pieces_

_A/N: Who liked the season finale cliff-hanger? Be real! It was insane. Did you all see Booth's eyes when he walked away, he was crying! The poor bloke, I wanted to reach into the TV and give him a hug… and a kiss, cause who are we kidding here, the guy is a spunk and I'd be insane not to take a chance, right? Right! Anywayz, I can't wait for the return, so I thought I'd give you guys something to tie you over until new ones begin to air._

_Happy reading Fanfic-ers… :)_

Seely Booth was the first to arrive at the agreed location, by the reflecting pool at the mall. He brought himself a coffee from the cart and sat on the fountain's edge waiting for the return of his old partner. He wasn't sure what she was to him now, it had been 12 months since they'd seen each other. 365 days to be exact. A lot had changed since then. He had changed. But he knew no matter what happened she would still be his _Bones._

His stomach was bubbling with anticipation as he patiently waited for her. He glanced at his watch. She was late. His eyes moved through the crowd of people. The atmosphere was so different to what he had been used to this past year, in Afghanistan. But he knew that it would only be a day or two, a week at the most, before he adjusted to the change. He'd been through worse, this was minute in comparison. He was hardly worried.

It was as if she stepped out of the darkness and into the light. His head snapped up feeling her presence and there she was. She had changed in appearance somewhat, over the past year, but not so much that she wasn't recognizable. Her hair had been cut short, was straight and sat just above her shoulders. She wore a green and white summer dress that clipped up at the base of her neck. She was breathtaking.

He stood unsteadily to his feet and awkwardly reached out to hug her.

"Hi, Bones," he whispered closing his eyes as he held her closely for a moment. He hadn't known how much he missed her until then. The scent of her was strong, and the familiarity of her was slightly overwhelming.

Brennan stepped back making space between them. Her eyes were distant, he noticed, and there was something about the way she now carried herself. She had more confidence. "Hello, Booth. It's good to see you."

"You've changed…" he smiled admiring her new appearance. "You look beautiful, Bones."

"Don't call me, Bones, most people call me Bren now," she said gently with an air of seriousness. "You changed too, Booth, you grew your hair…" she noticed making no further comment to tell him if she approved or not.

He momentarily touched the length of his hair, it was two inches more than he would have liked. He was meaning to get a haircut before they met up again, but time had been minimal. Booth nodded. "Yeah… want some coffee?" he offered gesturing to the cart a meter from where they stood.

"Um… no," she declined. The disappointment was evident on his face. This wasn't quite the reunion he had in mind. "I want you to meet someone Booth," she said snapping her head around to smile at a man behind her. It was only then that he noticed she wasn't alone. His eyes moved from Brennan to the man behind her, who was reasonably tall, with a strong jaw-line much like his own, dressed in a black suit, and bright green tie. He looked down at his own clothes, and felt slightly embarrassed to be wearing only jeans and a t-shirt.

"Hi," Booth greeted extending a hand to the man.

"Gid'day, the name's Damien."

"Seely Booth," he nodded in response.

"Right," he said sizing up the man. "I heard a lot about you."

"You have?" Booth smiled and turned his focus back to Brennan.

"Booth, this is…" there was an awkward pause. "This is my Fiancé."

"Your- your what?" he choked.

"Damien and I are going to be married in 3 weeks," she stated matter-of-factly.

Booth knew that his face expression left little to the imagination. He was clearly shocked. His legs gave way, and he sat on the fountain's edge, to stop himself from tumbling to the ground. He was speechless. This woman before him was nothing like the one he had left at the airport 365 days earlier. It would have been no surprise if he discovered it was her long-lost twin sister she didn't even talk the same. He had changed in a year he knew that, but nothing like she had. Obviously!

"Wow…" his mind buzzed with questions that he didn't ask, words that were never uttered, and a conversation that had never taken place. "I guess congratulations, is in order then," he forced a smile.

"Thank you, Booth."

Damien reached for her hand and tightened his fingers over hers, Booth felt himself being ripped apart inside, what felt like literally. The time he had been away from her, had done nothing to dim the deep love he had for her. And now, as he looked at her, the woman he had been waiting in anticipation for, a kaleidoscope of emotions seized him, crushing his chest like the weight of a ten-tone truck.

"I'm glad I saw you, Booth," Brennan muttered stepping closer to Damien. "I'm sorry I have to reject your offer for coffee but Damien and I have lots of errands to run before the wedding."

"Yeah," he stammered. "Yeah, of course you do."

"Bye, Booth… I'll see you soon."

She made no move to hug him goodbye, and with a polite nod from Damien, the two of them made their exit, leaving Booth sitting alone at the reflecting pool where they had agreed to meet for coffee exactly one year ago.

Booth pulled out the worn photo from his jacket pocket, the one he had carried in his around for an entire year, so that he wouldn't forget her face. She stood looking over her shoulder, her curly brown hair falling over her face as she stared at him with those blue-green eyes and crooked thin smile that had kept him sane during his training days. He could even remember the moment the photo was taken. They'd been messing around with a camera and he'd jokingly snapped her picture. When the negatives had come out, he'd taken the photo and shoved it in his jacket pocket, where it had stayed until that moment. The edges were considerably worn, fading out the background of the park where the photo had been taken. His eyes turned glassy and he spread his fingers across the top and tore the photo down the middle, he flipped it sideways and tore it again, watching it crumble into nothing but photo-paper. What use was it anymore? All traces of the _Bones_ he knew were gone, and what remained was a shell that resembled the figure she had been before.

_So… what do you think, mean, or intriguing? I know that most of you aren't really review people, but PLEASE review if you're interested in another installment, I'm interested to hear your opinion… :)_


	2. Undecided

_CHAPTER TWO: Undecided_

_A/N: I'm taking the next chapter from Brennan's POV… hope that's okay :)_

Temperance Brennan sat at her kitchen table, a white sealed envelope between her fingers. She turned it over in her hands, still contemplating a deciding vote. Would it be too strange if he was at the wedding? She asked herself. It wasn't like she was the same person anymore. Things had changed for her in Indonesia. She had learned a lot about people, more about human interaction, about communicating with people, mostly taught by Damien Winters, the fireman she had met on the Maluku Islands. It wasn't that deep down she wasn't the same woman, only that she saved most of her scientific talk for the lab, just like Damien had challenged her to do one day.

Nevertheless, he was still Booth, the man she had once called her best friend… her partner. Didn't he at least deserve the right to decline the wedding invitation?

Brennan recalled a conversation she'd had with Booth, before she had left for Indonesia, where she had told her that once they reunited, they could easily pick up where they left off. Now, she wasn't so sure. She had seen that heartbreaking look in his eye, when she'd introduced him to Damien. It just about broke her heart to see that look again.

She dropped the envelope on the table and pushed back her chair, standing from the table, just as Damien waltzed into the room.

"Hey, baby," he greeted her with a kiss. She felt herself tense in his arms.

"You okay?" he instantly recognized something was wrong.

"Yeah," she nodded forcefully.

Damien nodded and stepped back. "Have you finished the invitations yet?"

"Yeah, just sealed the last one," she said thinking about Booth again. Why was it so hard to make a decision where he was concerned? In Indonesia, once she was away from him for more than two months, she began to stop missing him, aching for him. Chance was on her side, because around the same time, Damien had walked into her life, distracting her from the man she was trying to escape. Coincidence!

"Bren…" he called over his shoulder.

She snapped her head up to look at him.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Damien, I'm okay."

"Good," he walked into the loungeroom and positioned himself on the couch, his feet on the table showing off his brightly colored socks. He picked up a magazine and began to flip through it. "That FBI guy seems alright, Bill…"

"Booth," she corrected from her place in the kitchen. She poured herself a neat scotch.

"Yeah, him. You guys seemed a bit off, considering how close you were before you left," he spoke from the information she had given him over their time in the Maluku Islands. He knew enough about him to form his own opinion.

"I was just tired," she lied. In truth, she didn't know what to say to him. Fear had gripped her when she'd seen his face, fear of becoming attached to him once again, and not being able to escape it. It had taken her a full 12 months to get him out of her system completely, or so she had herself believing. But when her eyes met his, and she saw that familiar face, things happened to her that spoke to the contrary.

"Is he invited to the wedding then?"

Brennan looked at the kitchen table, where the envelope still sat alone, waiting to be send or destroyed.

"Bren?" Damien called.

Brennan shook her head bringing herself back to the present. "I don't know yet…" she replied honestly. "I'm still deciding. I'm tired, Damien, I'm going to go to bed."

"Want company?"

"No," she said. "Go ahead and put the TV on or…"

Damien nodded looking serious. Brennan went into her bedroom and changed into a night gown, then she climbed into bed and laid her head back on the pillow, thinking about Booth…

_Brennan stood at the altar, her hands trembling as she exchanged rings with her soon-to-be-husband. A gasp was heard from the audience as the double doors to the church opened, and Booth ran in, a desperate look on his face. He approached the front of the church, where Brennan stood preparing to be married, and he took his hand in hers, everyone else seemed to disappear like fog._

"_Booth, what are…" she stammered wondering what on earth had possessed him to interrupt her wedding._

"_Don't do this, Bones!" he pleaded, his hand gripping tighter to hers. _

"_What are doing?" her voice snapped with irritation. _

"_You can't marry this guy, he's not the one you love… look at him, Bones!"_

_Brennan turned her head to look at the man beside him, who had been a moment ago, dressed in a tuxedo, and was now nothing more than a skeleton. She gasped. This was not Damien. _

"_See," Booth acknowledged. "All he is is another means of escaping what you really want. You don't want him; he's nothing more than a pile of bones. Don't marry him… don't do it!"_

_Brennan looked into the face of the man she loved, who she had loved whole-heartedly for more than five years, and then stood back. No, she wouldn't fall into that trap, she wouldn't allow Booth to take away her only means of protection against him. _

"_Bones…" he could see her reluctance. _

"_Don't call me Bones!" she screamed. _

"_Bones… Bones… Bones…" his voice echoed. _

Brennan gasped as she sat up in bed, beads of sweat perspiring down her face, mixing with the tears that were caressing her cheeks. She pulled her knees to her chest as she trembled. Damien was sleeping soundly beside her. She had discovered he was a deep sleeper, and was suddenly grateful for it. She rested her head on her knees, confusion washing through her.

Eventually, she rose from the bed and went into the lounge room. She flopped down on the couch and opened a book she had been reading on Anthropology. It was the only thing she could think of, that might stop the insane thoughts that were swimming around in her head.

_Hi FF readers… Quick Question, does Damien remind you of someone? LOL!_


	3. Invitations

_CHAPTER THREE: Invitations_

_A/N: Yeah sorry, very short chapter this one…_

Angela and Hodgins had loved living in Paris for 12 months. They'd even seriously considered staying on permanently, but in the end they both decided they wanted to return to work at the Jeffersonian. Their friends were there, and that was home. Booth had heard nothing but good reviews about the food, and the atmosphere, the only negative talk had been how dirty the place was.

Throughout the day, Booth had overheard talk of wedding invitations, Angela and Hodgins had received one together, now that they were married, Sweets had received one, and Cam had been handed one in the lab, along with her adopted daughter. But he had heard nothing of his own invitation.

Angela had brought up talk of the wedding that afternoon, the first day they had returned to work. Booth had seen Brennan in passing once or twice, both neither had reason to form a team, no bodies had been called in for identification. It was mainly paperwork. "So are you going to Bren's wedding?" Angela asked cautiously.

"I don't know… my invitation hasn't arrived yet," he shrugged off-handedly.

"Does she seem happy to you?" Angela asked.

"I don't know," he said. "She's different…"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I got that memo. How you holding up, Hot-man?"

"I'm fine, Angela… thanks. I gotta go meet Sweets."

Angela nodded watching him leave.

Booth made his way to Sweets office, where he and Brennan had an appointment. They hadn't sat down like this since their return from travelling the world. Brennan hadn't arrived yet, and so he sat himself down on the couch, his hands folded in his lap.

"Hey sweets…" he said flatly.

"Hello Agent Booth… how was your time in Afghanistan?"

"Alright," he answered vaguely.

"Have you seen much of Doctor Brennan since you got back?"

"No," he clenched his teeth. "Not much."

"Does her upcoming wedding bring any unresolved issues up for you?"

Booth folded his arms. "I'd rather not talk about this with you, Sweets." He leaned back on the sofa. "When is she getting here anyway?"

"She's not!" he answered.

Booth frowned meeting his gaze. "She's not?"

"No, she called to say she had errands to run… with her fiancé, they had some arrangements they couldn't get out of," he explained.

Booth shook his head, seething silently. The least she could do is let him know that she wasn't coming. Booth stood up. "Yeah, I'm going to take off…"

"Booth?" he called.

Booth was already gone.

_Thanks for the reviews guys…I would LOVE some more!_


	4. Blame

_CHAPTER FOUR: Blame_

_A/N: I LOVE confrontation… in case you can't tell. Lol. In the real world too, but especially in TV shows, it makes for really interesting drama. :) Tootapanga1 gave me inspiration for this one, so thanks sweetie!_

Brennan was wandering the apartment, when she heard a knock. Stopping, stunned momentarily, she drew in a breath, listening for a sign, of what, she didn't know. For a long time she stood, dead silent, and then she heard the knock again. There was no mistaking it, it was loud, and had a familiar signature to it.

She made her way to the door, and hesitated as her hand grasped the doorknob.

As she pulled it open, revealing the face of Booth, she felt all the air leave her body.

"Hi," his tone was evidently cool.

"Hello, Booth…" she stood lamely by the door, making no move to let him in. He took the opportunity on himself and pushed past her. She sighed heavily and closed the door, before following him into the loungeroom.

"You're avoiding me!" he stated matter-of-factly.

Brennan knew that was true, but she still denied it. "Don't be ridiculous!"

"Bones, your-"

"I told you, don't call me Bones!" she snapped harsher than she intended. Booth felt the attack, and took a step back. "I'm sorry, I just- call me Bren."

"What if I don't want to?" he challenged.

"Listen to me, Booth. I'm not the same person anymore."

"Enter, duh here!"

"I don't know what that means," she frowned.

Booth couldn't help smiling. At least not everything had changed.

"I'm not even sure I want to work with the FBI anymore…" she told him.

"The FBI, or me?" he demanded.

"I don't know," she couldn't lie again, she didn't have the strength.

Booth shook his head, and began pacing the room. It made Brennan nervous.

"You're avoiding me!" he repeated. "You know, you made this choice, you were the one to come back different, _engaged_," he seemed to choke on the word. "If anyone has the right to avoid, it's me. ME!"

He turned and made his way into the kitchen. She chased after him, but his eyes had already glanced at the envelope she had carelessly left out, still undecided whether to invite him to her wedding.

His eyes met hers, and she felt her chest tighten.

"I saw that everyone got their invitations…" he said.

Brennan said nothing. All she could manage was the shifting of her feet in an uncomfortable manner.

"Was I even invited to the wedding?" he asked clearly hurt.

"I was still deciding," she said honestly, her eyes lowering to the floor in embarrassment and shame.

Booth nodded, and took a step back from the table, his eyes still on the envelope with his name. "Well, consider the invite sent and returned. You don't have to toss and turn deciding whether or not I'm important enough to be invited… I'm not going!"

Brennan felt the tears sting her eyelids. It wasn't the reason she hadn't invited him. It was much more complicated than whether or not he made the cut. It was more about the nightmares she was having, and the reoccurring emotions that had suddenly reappeared after 12 months, it was about being afraid of losing her independence and relying on him all over again. It was about surviving without him.

"Booth, please don't look so sad…" she could see that he was shattered by her behavior and she felt worse for it, but in the long run, she was sure it was the only way to save them both.

"No," he shook his head again. "You don't get a say in how I handle this, not this time! This time, I'll feel and look how ever I want… I just- I can't believe this, Bones, I- I thought I meant something to you, anything, enough to be invited to your wedding at least. I don't know how I could have gotten that SO wrong!"

He took one more look at her, before he made his exit, leaving her standing abandoned in the kitchen, and this time, she was sure the blame lay entirely on her shoulders.

_Hahahahaha! I love a good fight between STAR-CROSSED lovers. Who here LOVED McLeod's Daughters? Alex and Stevie (Hence, my screen name) were the BEST at quarrels and debates, their heat and passion was incredible. I LOVE IT!_

_Drop me a line, and review… please :)_


	5. Love or fear

_CHAPTER FIVE: Love or Fear_

_A/N: Blah, blah, blah… nope, nothing to say on this chapter. Read on if you will :)_

Booth hadn't been to the Jeffersonian Lab in almost a week, the same period of time it had been since he had laid eyes on that woman who clouded his dreams, and entered his mind every 3 to 5 seconds. That was why he was surprised when Angela Montenegro-Hodgins waltzed into the Federal building and into his office, where he was vaguely looking over an old case file.

"Angela?" he greeted looking up from his paperwork.

"I have some wonderful news," she busted with excitement.

As bad as he felt on the inside, he kept it hidden from his friend, and forced a smile to show he was interested in her news, whatever that may have been. "Go ahead…"

"She still loves you!"

Booth felt his stomach go queasy, at the mention of the woman who had no name. He clenched his teeth and leaned back in his chair. He would NOT have this conversation. "I don't want to hear it, Angela!"

"Are you sure?" she baited.

"I'm sure," he didn't care what crazy ideas she had in her head. Brennan was getting married. She had been avoiding him since her return from Indonesia and he had not even been invited to her wedding. All those factors were enough to tell him, she didn't care, let alone love him.

"Booth, I-"

"Angela!" he snapped feeling the tension rise in his body. "I don't care! I don't want to know, I'm not interested. All I want is to forget about her, okay. I don't want to think about it anymore… let her marry whoever the hell she wants. I'm done!"

Angela shook her head in frustration. "That's just it, hot man, she's marrying you!"

Booth felt his heart in his throat. "What?"

"The guy she's marrying… Damien. He's YOU!"

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Have you seen the guy… eccentric ties, bright socks, I mean the guy is religious for God's sake… no offense." Booth smiled. "Don't you get it, you scare her, but she loves you. This guy is the closet I've ever seen resembling another that's not a twin. Oh my God, Booth, the guy has the same jaw-line as you. He could be Jarrod."

Booth considered this. "So what?" he shrugged. "The guy looks like me. He's NOT me. In the end, he gets to marry her and I don't."

"But you want to," she smiled happy to hear that his feelings hadn't changed.

"Are you finished?" he snapped, his eyes staring at a spot on the wall.

Angela sighed. "I know you're sad, Booth, I know you feel cheated. But don't let her slip through your fingers without trying every possibility. Don't stop fighting, because she's stubborn, stop fighting because you don't want her… and if I thought that was ever a possibility, I wouldn't be standing in this office. You still have time, don't waste it sitting here…" she pleaded.

The next time he looked up, Angela was gone.

_A/N: Sorry it's short. I'm about ready to wrap it up. Review and let me know what you think? Every review counts :)_


	6. Religion VS Science

_CHAPTER SIX: Religion VS science_

_A/N: yayfulness! I love writing this story. I hope I'm keeping you FF readers entertained. :)_

_Brennan smoothed out her dress with her hands, as she looked at herself in the mirror. Something was missing, but she wasn't sure what it was. Angela stood behind her, neatening the back, where she couldn't see it. _

"_I feel like something's missing…" Brennan acknowledged squinting deeply, as if it would help her remember what was lacking. "Something new… something borrowed… something blue…" she mumbled under her breath. _

"_A smile," Angela said simply. _

"_What?"_

"_You're missing a smile," Angela observed. _

_Brennan attempted one, but it didn't work, it came out more like a grimace. She tried again, and again, until her cheeks ached with effort. Tears stung her eyes, and in the mirror, she was horrified to find her appearance had changed. Her efforts to apply make-up were in vain, as she saw the smudged lipstick and blotted eyeliner. It wasn't how she planned to look on her wedding day. _

"_Bren, are you alright?" Angela asked gently._

"_I'm getting married," she sobbed._

_Angela laughed. "Yes, sweetie, so why are you crying?"_

"_I don't know…"_

"_Because you're not marrying me," Booth stated standing in the doorway._

_Her head snapped around to meet his eyes. "What are-"_

_Booth stepped forward, crushing her in an embrace, his lips brushed against hers. He broke away first. "Don't marry him. You know it's a mistake. He's nothing but second prize to me…" he rambled, his voice getting softer and softer until it eventually faded into nothing. _

When she opened her eyes, he was gone, and she was lying in bed, her hand molded to her lips. Highly, embarrassed for herself she withdrew her hand, and climbed out of bed. This was getting ridiculous!

She moved around the house for a while, cleaning up and moving items from one place to another, in an attempt to clear her head. It was well past 3 am, when she heard the phone. Wide awake, she made a leap for it, cautious not to wake her fiancé who was still sound asleep in the bedroom.

With the phone to her ear, she greeted the caller. "Brennan!"

"It's me…" the voice responded.

Her heart quickened at the sound of his voice.

"Bones, are you there?"

"Yes," she choked. "I'm here."

"I want to talk to you… will you meet me?"

Brennan looked at the clock on the wall. "Where's your consideration? It's nearly 4 am, Booth!"

There was a short pause. "I didn't know… sorry. Listen, I- I really need to see you. You're awake now, will you meet me."

Brennan contemplated a decision. It might be just what she needed to stop the nightmares, she concluded. Anything was worth a try at this stage.

"Alright," she agreed. "Outside Founding Fathers, in thirty minutes!"

She was trembling as she walked towards the bench, at the agreed location, she sat down relieved to be alone, if only for a moment. Her eyes scanned the streets of D.C, where nobody walked at these hours of the morning.

"Hi," his voice caught her off guard.

"Booth…" she stood to greet him, this time her arms went around his neck and she clung to him. He was surprised for a moment, before he responded, folding her into his arms.

"Are you alright, Bones?"

"No… I'm getting married, Booth." Fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

He reached out and wiped his finger across her cheek. "Don't cry… you're too beautiful not to smile," he whispered. Brennan stopped her tears, and stepped back from him. For a moment she forgot the power he had over her, with simple words. "Bones, you told me that you didn't want me because we were so different. I was religious and you were a scientist. But you bring this guy back who-"

"Booth, I-" she began to reason with him, but he cut her off.

"If you told me you didn't want ME, I could accept that. But this guy you're going to marry Bones, he's just like me, accept that he'll never love you the way that I do. No one will ever love you the way I do…" he lowered his head as he positioned himself on the bench.

She took a seat beside him. "Booth, please…"

"I want you to be happy, Bones, I do. But why should he get to have you when I have what he has, and I've proved myself to you for years… I just- I feel cheated."

Brennan knew what he was saying, but she couldn't tell him how much she missed him, or how long it had taken her heart to heal. Instead, she stood from the bench, looked down at him one last time and then leaned her head down to his cheek to kiss him, before walking away.

_MEH… what can you do? LOL! Please review… :)_


	7. A letter

_A/N: I intend for this to be short-short, so sorry, it's basically just a letter from Bren. :)_

Booth found a letter in his mailbox with his name scribbled across an envelope, as he walked back inside, he wondered if it might be his invitation to the wedding, but once he saw the folded paper, he knew it wasn't.

_Booth, _

_My hands tremble as I put pen to paper in an attempt to explain my feelings, thoughts and decisions._

_It has never been effortless for me to launch emotions in the forward way that you do. But I'll do my paramount to supply you with the needed knowledge._

_My life altered in Indonesia, I matured in a worldly way, and I began to see the world in the manner that you see it, Booth, just like Angela wanted me to. I began to find myself. My independence and self-reliance. I was content. But then I come home, and I see you, and it starts all over again. What happened to me? I lose myself whenever I'm around you. My heart does this erratic dance; my stomach fills with what can only be described as butterflies, though scientifically that is improbable. _

_I don't like that feeing, Booth, I'm not in control. _

_I cannot identify the reasons for these changes, so I shun you. It's the only thing I know how to do… to withdraw myself completely, emotionally and mentally, from what I cannot grasp. _

_The mistake is mine, the fault lies with me. It is all I can offer in exchange from what I've taken from you. All I feel is left to say, is an apology on my part. I sincerely confess my repentance. I don't want you to be sad, Booth._

_But your efforts did not go unnoticed, nor were they done in vain. You changed me, Booth, for both better and worse, and I hold no regret for that. Only now, as I write these last words, do I feel a stab of pain, knowing I have no other choice but to part from you, in order to rediscover who I was before you came into my life. _

_I hope you will always be my friend…_

_Bones xo_

He found himself smiling, despite the pain her words caused. In the end, she still saw herself as BONES, his partner, his friend, his… never-to-be, and for now, that seemed to be enough.

_ARGHHHHHHHH! This was hard to write. Hope it came across okay :)_


	8. Enough for both of us

_A/N: My last chapter… thanks guys, for sticking it out till the end. Hope it was entertaining enough. :)_

At Bindi's Bakery, Brennan stood alongside her soon-to-be husband, tasting cake portions. Her taste buds were bored. Who was she kidding? All of this was making her itch; it wasn't something she could enjoy. Taste testing… picking out china patterns… dress fittings. All of this belonged to someone else. Weddings had never been her scene. She wasn't even sure how she'd been roped into making wedding arrangements, Angela had promised to be helpful, but had been exceptionally busy at the lab on a new program.

"What do you think of the mud-cake, Bren?" Damien asked pointing to the chocolate moist cake that sat in front of her.

"I'm not sure," she shrugged.

"Do you think we should go with a pie instead…" he pondered.

Brennan pulled a face. She HATED pie!

Brennan reluctantly reached for a sponge cake, and took the square portion to her mouth. She gagged on it, her face screwing up like she had tasted something sour. Damien laughed.

"I guess we don't want that one," he smiled teasingly. He popped another cake portion into his mouth and chewed it. "Hey, listen… when we're married, do you think you might want to come to church with me, or-?"

"I don't believe in God!" she stated. She had told him this time and time again. She was a scientist.

"Yeah, I know but-"

"No, Damien. I don't believe in God. I'm a scientist. I don't go to church!"

"Not even for me…" he challenged.

Brennan sighed heavily. "I don't enjoy this, Damien…" she told him.

"What, tasting cakes?"

"All of it," she said. "I don't like weddings. I don't believe in God or religion. I don't even believe in marriage… I mean, I do, but- I mean… I don't know what I mean. Since meeting you, I have been so confused about who I am and what I want. It's me, Booth… I can't-"

Something about the way his expression changed made her stop talking.

"My name is Damien!" he stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" her rate quickened.

"My name is Damien, it's NOT Booth."

"I didn't- oh, I'm sorry, I…"

Damien nodded. "I think I understand why you're so confused now. You've been a little vague since we got back to D.C… I'm not Booth, and that presents a problem."

Brennan's chest tightened. She wanted to tell him it was a mistake, that the name was just a name, it meant nothing, but as she looked at him, REALLY looked at him, she saw that it wasn't a mistake. How alike they were, she thought. How she had missed it before was beyond her knowledge. The man wore bright socks for Pete's sake!

What the hell was she doing with Damien Winters?

"I… I'm sorry, Damien. I have to go," she stood from the table at the bakery, and looked down at him. "I don't think we should get married. I'm sorry… I- I have to go."

Damien stared at her in disbelief, and she made her exit.

For a long time she walked around D.C., her mind buzzing with the possibility of making it work with Seely Booth. She was deathly afraid. Before she had met Booth, she knew who she was, and what she could manage to take out of life. In truth, she had barely been skating by. She was going through the motions of life, but had not lived. Booth had taught her to interact with people. Because of him, she had formed relationships with others in the Jeffersonian and more importantly, she had learned to forgive her father. Booth had become a part of her.

_Do you love him?_ A voice echoed in her mind.

"Yes," she answered aloud. "But is that enough?"

_It's only the beginning. _

"What if I lose him? I'll be alone again…"

_Is it better to have tried knowing you failed than to have not tried at all?_

"I'm scared," she whispered to the wind.

There came no reply.

Brennan sighed heavily, her words were wasted, it was Booth she should have been telling, she concluded and made her way to the Federal building to find him.

At his desk, he saw her come in and stood to greet her. "Hi…" he smiled weakly. "I got the letter… thanks. I know that must have been hard to write."

"I'm scared," she stated.

Booth withdrew slightly, frowning.

"I'm scared of being abandoned, Booth. I'm scared of living without you. I'm scared of not being me, because I'm so caught up in relying on your strength to get me through the day. I'm so afraid… you taught me everything I know about the world. You taught me how to trust, but I never noticed that with trust, comes fear…"

Booth came around from his desk and stood before her. "I'm scared too," he nodded. "I can't promise that I won't leave you, but I can promise it will NOT be by choice. I can be your strength when you need me. I can give you the independence when you don't. Bones, I can make you happy… I know I can."

"I don't believe in God, Booth. I don't believe in heart… I'm a brain person!"

"I will be your faith, Bones and your hope, and your survival. I'll be your heart. I will be enough for both of us. I promise, I'll-" she didn't wait for the next sentence, instead she pulled him to her, and he folded her in his arms the way he had done when she dreamt about him night after night, and this time she kissed him.

**THE END**

_(Just in case you guys decide to ask for more… lol) Thanks for hanging in there. :)_


	9. A JOKE!

_A/N: Okay, this was NOT my work. It was tootapanga1 and she was mocking me and ended up this piece, which to say the least was rather brilliant, but let's for the sake of her BIG, GIANT HEAD, not give her that information. Lol. This has nothing to do with MY story, but was a send-up of my ending. Please read on… you'll love it if you have a sense of humor. :)_

Booth decided to go and break up the wedding riding a white horse into the church, everyone yelling "blaspheme" and "stinking swine" even though it's actually a herbivore and not a carnivore, well technically multivore because after all, pigs will eat anything including each other. Anyway back to the story, which is not cliché, coz we all know how Jack O'Neill feels about them, it was a horse of another color, which makes it more like the wizard of Oz, and less of a fairytale.

Anyway, Booth calls her up and agrees to meet kissing her so passionately that she passes out, in actual fact he probed her tonsils with his tongue and blocked off her windpipe, and she passed out. But for the purposes of romanticizing this already fictional life, she blacked out with utter pleasure.

So he carried her off on the horse, everyone cheered except for Damian who cried and disappeared in a puff of smoke, conveniently even though there is all these unresolved issues and he still has to get his stuff from Brennan's, nevertheless, he's never seen again.

Anyway back to the cheering, Angela and Hodgins, who had twins, a boy and a girl called Emily and David, cheered the loudest, and Daisy chased after them to get some of those fairy tale photos, but instead got ran over by a stolen car, government issue, yes Zac had escaped from prison for the big day, too bad he'll be going back after killing Daisy. Hit and runs don't go to well.

On the Brightside, Sweets can spend the next two years psycho analyzing himself over Daisy's death, since he won't have anyone else considering Booth and Bones will be busy making babies for many months, and Angela and Hodgins would be copying them.

After many years of his own therapy, Sweets is better and marries Cam and follows on in the other team mates lead making lots of babies and getting started on their happily NEVER after.

150 years later.

"Thanks for stealing me away, that wedding day" Brennan smiled to Booth's bones, which she kept on display in the kitchen cabinet.

THE END!

_Funny or False… click that review button and let me know? :)_


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